Posted on 04/27/2002 10:13:38 PM PDT by tgslTakoma
It's now been a week and a day since The Patriots Rally for America, and Gore_ War_ Vet's truck is still MIA somewhere in our nations capital; thanks to some unknown tow truck driver on the city of DC payroll.
Gore_ War_ Vet and I had unloaded all our rally supplies from our vehicles at the rally site on Constitution Avenue at 7:30am last Saturday, April 20th, and we then headed off to find parking. Parking on Constitution Avenue is usually allowed, but the street was marked with "Emergency - No Parking" signs because the radical left's pro-intifada demonstration was going to culminate in a march down that street.
I left the rally site to find a spot for my truck on a side street and found one on 15th street, just north of the Constitution Avenue intersection. There was one other spot still open at that location so I called up Angelwood and told her to let Gore_ War_ Vet know. He parked the truck, we both double-checked to see that there were no restrictions on parking there and that the meters did not need to be fed on a Saturday. All was well, or so we thought.
Apparently someone within the DC Government decided, after we had parked there, that they should have posted those "Emergency - No Parking" signs on 15th Street. So at some point during the day they did just that. And our vehicles were towed.
I found out that my truck was missing after I got back from walking Niger Innis to Trueblackman's car (and then driving him in Tbm's car to Union Station to catch his train back to NYC). I then began my search for my vehicle, not knowing that Gore_ War_ Vet had already been searching (in vain) for his truck as well.
I spoke to a DC cop who said that Park Service did all the towing on that area's streets, so I went up to a Park Police officer... who gave me a phone number to call at Park Police HQ. I called them and they said, "Nope, it wasn't us. It was DC." So then I go back to another DC officer who tells me that they usually just tow cars a few blocks away and leave them; and he gives me yet another phone number to a DC office, which it turns out is closed on weekends. By this time word has gotten back to the FReeper cleanup crew that GWV has also "lost" his truck, so BufordP, Taxman and others begin to cruise nearby streets looking for the missing vehicles. Angelwood loaned me her car and I found a wonderful, helpful, friendly, compassionate lady DC cop (praise the Lord!) who made a few calls and found out just who did what, and she gave me a number to call that had a real person on the other end of the line!
The woman I spoke with got my tag info from me, corrected me when I said the car had been towed ("No ma'am. Your car wasn't towed. It was moved") and told me where I could find my truck (800 block of Constitution Ave, by the Archives); so off we went to find it. Taxman drove me and GWV to get our vehicles. You see, we had figured that since we were parked only two cars away from one another, that they'd be in close proximity to one another at the drop site. Silly us! I found my truck right where the woman said it was, but GWV's was nowhere to be found. Taxman drove him around for another half hour or so, and still no truck.
Gore_ War_ Vet had left his vehicle papers in his vehicle, so he didn't have tag info to give the DC folks to get specific location info; that he had to do after he got to his home...much, much later. He did end up speaking with a few members of MPD who were sympathetic to his plight, and they sheepishly suggested that the only way they could look for the truck would be if he reported it stolen! They knew how absurd that sounded, but they also knew how DC Government "organization" works.
We were tired and hungry, so we reconnoitered at the Hotel Washington for dinner. After dinner, BufordP drove GWV around all over downtown DC looking for the missing truck, with no luck. So Buford drove GWV home (a couple-hour drive, thank you BufordP for being the good guy you are).
The rest of the specifics of the story can be filled in by Gore _ War_ Vet, because it really is a doozy, and he knows it all too well. The short of it is that his truck is still missing. DC has no idea where it is. They gave him two different locations... but no truck there.
So, while no persons were injured or arrested during the Patriots Rally, it does appear that we did have one casualty. And the topper is that DC doesn't seem to be too terribly interested in helping GWV find his vehicle - that they misplaced!
End of story unless you realize that the cost of preparing for thousands is going to be payed for by 2 people that can least afford it.Is there a way to take up a donation for the total cost of retrieving this truck without compromising Gore_War_Vet's privacy? I'd be happy to kick in.
They'd prolly be all too happy to see us leave.
I'm going to be alright whether my truck is found or not.
I'm not one of the FReepers who contributed so much to ensure a successful rally. The Patriot's Rally For America could sure use the donations, I'm sure!
Send a FReepmail to Angelwood
"I can't be bothered with such things. The Buffy the Vampire Slayer Marathon is on, so shut up and pass me the chips (burp)!"
I myself was not actually there, but that was because I had to work (argh).
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Please come back again soon.
Dang, that reminds me...:-)
How the hell are you?
The city would be a really neat place, if it wasn't for all the uh err uh people.
I think it's unlikely that I'll see my truck again.
It was a great rally anyway!
Would it be possible for you to indulge yourselves in the art of writing down the location of people's vehicles that you tow for their personal safety, so that they can find them? Or is that not in your budget?
MIA:
[Truck info]
Sincerely,
[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]
Friend of the owner
Really busy. This balloon thing is taking most of my time. The good thing about it is that it looks like it is going to be worth every second. If you haven't seen it, go here. It's really cool...
"It was get'in kinda antsy for awhile there" Quote from the US Park Service Police Capt. to kristinn and I.
It was also the understatement of the day!
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